Pixium Vision Appoints Khalid Ishaque as Chief Executive Officer

Pixium Vision ("Pixium"), a developer of innovative Vision Restoration Systems for the blind, today announces the appointment of Khalid Ishaque as Chief Executive Officer and Director. Mr Ishaque joins from Boston Scientific, and brings over 22 years of management experience in the medical technology industry.

Mr Ishaque spent 17 years with Boston Scientific Corporation, where most recently he was General Manager of its Neuromodulation International business. In this role, he established and led the international sales and marketing operations for the fast growing Spinal Cord Stimulation pain management franchise. He also led the global market entry for Deep Brain Stimulation platform for movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease and dystonia. Prior to this, Mr Ishaque was Head of New Business Development for Boston Scientific in Europe (2001-2007) and was involved in a range of strategic M&A and technology deals. Mr Ishaque worked for Becton Dickinson for a number of years prior to joining Boston Scientific in 1997. He received postgraduate degrees in Engineering (M.Eng.) from Cranfield Institute of Technology in the UK and in International Economics and Management (MIEM) from SDA Bocconi in Italy.

Pixium Vision is developing innovative Vision Restoration Systems for blind patients who have lost their sight with the intention of enabling them to lead more independent lives. The Company intends to harness the rapid advances being made in visual processing, micro-electronics, bio-mimetic camera technologies and computing to develop systems that for blind people could ultimately provide vision approaching that of a normal healthy eye.

Pixium's technologies are designed to replace dysfunctional or degenerated photoreceptors in the retina caused by degenerative diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa and macular degeneration. In these conditions, the remaining retinal cells, the optic nerve and the vision processing centre in the brain remain intact and able to perceive vision with the correct stimulation.

The patient wears goggles containing an integrated mini-camera and transmitter. The captured images are processed by a pocket computer and a signal is transmitted back through the goggles onto a retinal implant surgically positioned on or within the retina. The implant stimulates the functional retinal cells, which relay the signals to the brain to generate 'vision'. The brain learns to interpret the signals it receives from the implant during a structured rehabilitation program undertaken by patients.

Pixium's first system (IRIS®) uses an epi-retinal implant (on the retinal surface) and entered a clinical study in April 2013. Data from the first patients to receive the implant are expected in 2014 and will form the basis of a CE Mark application.

The Company is also developing a next-generation system (PRIMA®), which is based on a sub-retinal implant (within the retina) and has the potential to further enhance the visual capabilities.

Pixium was created in Paris, France in December 2011 following research efforts at the Vision Institute and Université Pierre et Marie Curie, as well as collaborative work involving several leading academic teams from Europe and the USA. Pixium has raised €24.5m from blue-chip European venture capital and investment firms including Sofinnova Partners, Omnes Capital, Abingworth, Global Life Sciences Ventures, Bpifrance, Seventure and Polytechnos.